I drop my phone—my heart pounding as I chase after her. She yells when she sees the hooded figure, and the amount of noise she makes scares the shadow off. I take a deep breath, glad that she got the madness out of her system.
But Evie isn't satisfied.
Sometimes she thinks she's invincible.
Like the time she climbed the tallest tree on our block and then couldn't get down.
I follow her down the street, watching the shadowy figure in the distance disappear into the woods. Evie keeps running, hardly thinking twice about what she's doing or what might happen if she catches up with her Peeping Tom. She's letting her emotions take control of her, and that's never a good thing.
I keep running, calling Evie's name. She crosses the street and heads for the forest. I run faster to keep up—my thighs pumping as fast as they can. My feet thud on the pavement until they hit soft dirt. There's no time to be scared. No time to imagine what demons could be lurking behind the trees.
"Evie, stop!"
She keeps running.
"Evie!"
We're too far in now.
THE BONFIRE
Evie and I hide behind a tree, watching the true culprit bask in the moonlight victoriously. I should have seen this coming. Kaime isn't the type of girl to just brush things off. Besides, she acts too perfect to be sane. The answers are right in front of us, but now we're stuck with the choice of what to do about it.
"Come on out, girls." Kaime stands next to the fire, unzipping her black hoodie. She's joined by two others—Kara and Tansy. "I know you're out there."
My stomach churns and ties itself in knots.
Next to the blazing fire, a triangle is etched into the soil. Tansy is guarding it nervously. Her gaze rests on a body lying limp against a tree. I cover my mouth when the firelight gives me a glimpse of his chocolaty brown hair.
Presley.
"The he is a she," I whisper. "What do we do?"
Evie gulps.
"Kara," Kaime instructs. Kara nods and swiftly places Tansy in a headlock. She squirms but easily gives in. With wide eyes, Tansy doesn't put up a fight even though she's similar to Kara in size. "Come on out or your little roommate will get it."
"I have to," Evie mutters.
"Wait." I squeeze her arm. "What if she's bluffing?"
"She's insane," Evie reminds me. "Who knows what she's planning, unless you do?"
I shake my head.
Evie bravely steps out of our hiding spot. Her shadow dances in the firelight as she walks forward showing no fear. No anxiety. No hint of intimidation. Impressive.
"You too, Poppy." Kaime chuckles.
Against my gut feeling, I follow Evie. I don't know what I'm walking into, and I'm not sure I want to know. Kaime looks pleased with herself. She bends down and opens her tote bag, pulling out a shiny, thin blade. I clench my fists and rest my eyes on Presley. His shoulders are slumped, and his head is hanging as if he's asleep. Not a very comfortable position to be resting in.
"What the hell is going on here?" Evie asks. She raises her voice, making her disapproval more than obvious. Kara lets go of Tansy and giggles to herself. Tansy keeps her eyes pinned on her shoes. She avoids making eye contact with either of us.
"I thought you might ask that," Kaime answers. She pulls something else from her bag.
My underwear.
She sifts through the pile and picks one that catches her eye.
"And why do you have Poppy's thongs?" Evie continues. She wrinkles her nose. "What's the matter with you?"
"It's part of the ritual," Kara chimes in.
Kaime clears her throat, glaring at Kara for speaking out of turn.
"From a woman he's chased," Kaime says, holding up the lace thong. She places it on one point of the triangle. "From a woman unseen." She briefly glances at Evie, then pulls her polka dot bra from her bag and lays it at another point.
"Hey!" Evie stamps her foot.
"You'll get it back," Kaime reassures her. "Like I would keep something that grotesque. I have more class than that."
Evie and I make eye contact.
What class?
"And from the man himself," Kaime continues, gripping the knife tighter in her hand. She walks towards Presley, and holds the knife above his head.
"What are you doing?" I shout.
Kaime cuts a chunk of his hair. She returns to her position by the fire, and places Presley's hair at the last point of the triangle. My eyes dart from the item at each point to the smirk on Kaime's face. Who does she think she is?
I take a step forward.
As if reading my mind, Kaime points her knife in my direction and shakes her head.
"I don't think so, hun."
"What's wrong with Presley?" I shout again.
"He's fine." Kaime looks down at her palm. "He'll wake up tomorrow morning and won't remember a thing."
"Yeah." Kara laughs proudly. "All we did was slip him a little something from Kaime's mom's medicine cabinet—"
"Kara," she scolds her. "If it weren't for you we would have had the hair last night."
"How was I supposed to know Poppy's drink was drugged?" Kara glances at Tansy. "Someone forgot to give me the signal when she mixed up Presley's special daiquiri."
"I'm sorry," Tansy apologizes. "I gave him the drink, and…I had no idea he wanted to give it to Poppy."
"Shush, all of you!" Kaime grows impatient. Her cheeks are turning ruby red.
"At least we got the underwear right," Kara points out.
"Shut up, Kara! I need to finish the spell."
"Spell?" Evie repeats. She cracks a laugh before covering her mouth, but I know she's having a hard time keeping in her true feelings. Like any budding journalist, Evie is into facts. Not black magic, or whatever it is Kaime's trying to do. "You're not slicing off a chunk of my hair. No way."
"Not hair, blood," Kara corrects her. "But it works just as well if you're here in the flesh. Why do you think Kaime led you here?"
Kaime ignores her cousin's jabbering. She holds up her blade and slowly slices through her skin until droplets of blood drip into the center of the triangle. I cringe when I see the dark crimson liquid oozing from her fist, but Kaime looks elated by what she has accomplished. Her expression doesn't hint at an ounce of pain.
She really is mad.
"It's complete," Kaime states. "By morning, Presley is all mine."
Kara jumps up and down clapping as if she's cheering on a football field.
"Okay, I've had enough of this," I say under my breath. I run toward Presley, and Tansy steps out of my way. She eagerly watches me as I shake his shoulders to get him to wake up. Presley's eyes are still closed. I try holding up his chin.
"Presley!" I shout.
"Oh, leave him alone." Kaime laughs. "I'm probably the star of his dreams right now."
Evie rushes to my side. I shout again hoping he'll hear us in his zombie-like state. It doesn't seem to work. His chest rises and falls heavily as if he's trapped in a deep sleep.
"Let me try," Evie says. Without hesitation, she slaps him in the face. Her handprint leaves a scarlet welt on his cheek.
"Evie," I scold her.
"What the hell did you give him?" Evie turns around, and hurriedly taps me on the shoulder. Kaime and Kara are standing right behind us. I look at their devilish faces, eyeing the knife still in Kaime's hand. I gulp. We've seen too much. Nothing good ever happens when secrets surface.
"The same thing I'm going to give you," Kaime says quietly. The odd silence, apart from the fire's crackling, gives me goose bumps. Kara is holding a plastic cup just like the one she drank from at the party last night. Evie slowly stands up, giving me the courage to do the same. The four of us stand facing each other. Kaime and Kara are tall, but Evie has more muscle.
Tansy remains apart from the group. My eyes wander, and I see her with her hands clasped together. She looks from Presley to us, then to Presley again. She doesn't seem like the murderer sort. Kaime did
n't either at first, but that knife in her hand screams otherwise.
"Uh, hello?" Kaime's glare settles on her missing coven member. "Tansy? What are you doing, hun? You're supposed to be over here with us."
"But—"
"Tansy!" Kaime barks at her—her eyes as wide as donut holes. Tansy jumps before placing a hand on her chest. She scurries to join them, obeying Kaime without question.
"Who made you Head Witch?" Evie blurts out.
Kaime's eyes fixate on hers. She leans in close, pointing the blade toward Evie's throat.
"I have the knife," she says quietly. "So I make the rules."
Take her knife, Poppy.
I play out the scenario in my head of reaching out and taking Kaime's source of power. I study the way she grips the handle. Sometimes tightly and sometimes casually. She's too confident. But if she turns out to be freakishly strong or bares hidden fangs, I could end up with a knife through my chest. It's a gamble.
"Drink it," Kaime instructs. She takes the cup from Kara and holds it up to Evie's lips. Evie turns her head, but Kaime is prepared. She presses the knife gently against Evie's skin. Just enough for the pressure of the sharp metal to make her change her mind. While she thinks things through, Kara snatches Evie's hand. The mischievous smirk on her face makes my palms sweaty. "Last chance or I'll move on to another solution."
Kara pulls on Evie's pointer finger and laughs. My chest pounds. Kara's expression is one of a giddy schoolgirl, not a reasonably minded human. This game of theirs has to stop before it ends with screaming. Evie stands frozen solid—a knife to her neck and two psycho blondes in her face.
"I'll do it," I say loudly. It's enough to steal their attention. Kaime slightly lowers her knife. I force myself not to look at it directly.
"Wow, Poppy." Kaime answers. "Ready to give in, are you?"
"If it means this nightmare will be over," I respond, "then yes."
Kaime and Kara laugh triumphantly.
"Here you go, doll." Kaime turns toward me, and offers me the cup. I have no idea what's in it. If it's some kind of roofie or deadly poison.
One chance. That's all you get.
My heart beats so fast that I start to sweat. Kaime brings the cup to my lips. She stops and waits for me to drink. I refuse to be useless, though I feel pretty useless. There's only one thing I can do. I just hope Evie figures it out soon enough to join in.
With all the strength in my bicep I knock the cup toward Kaime's face. The contents fly toward her and land on the ground in between us. Kaime looks down, but before she can look back up again I claw at the handle of her knife until she lets go. Once I have it, I shift all my weight backward until I fall to the ground, knife in hand.
Evie jumps in front of me and grabs Kaime by the hair.
I jump to my feet as Kara scurries into the woods like a frightened little field mouse.
"Are you okay?" Tansy rushes to help me.
"Help me get him up," I say, looking at Presley.
Kaime screams as Evie yanks at her hair for the tenth time. She's enjoying this a little too much.
"Let's get out of here," I say loudly. Evie stretches out her hand, and I pass her the knife. She keeps Kaime in check by pointing it at her with a dangerous smile on her face. Tansy helps me bring Presley to his feet, but he's too heavy to carry.
"You take one shoulder, and I'll take the other," I suggest. Tansy nods.
We try again to keep him steady on his feet, but his body won't cooperate.
"He's too heavy." Tansy's voice is strained as she attempts to drag Presley forward. "We'll have to leave him here."
"I'll stay." I volunteer.
"No, Poppy." Evie pushes Kaime so she starts walking.
"Go get help," I instruct her. "I'll wait here with Presley."
"Oh gawd." Kaime throws her head back. "So touching."
"Shut up," Evie responds. "I'm tired of listening to you talk."
"Whatever." Kaime laughs. "This little number you've got going on isn't going to solve anything. You've forgotten one important detail." She pauses and looks at Tansy. "Tansy is my girl. Tansy, my knife please."
Tansy takes a step toward Evie.
"Don't make me do something stupid," Evie warns her.
"Tansy, be a good girl and teach your roommate a lesson."
"You're going to let her talk to you that way?" Evie replies. "Like a dog? That's all you are to her."
Tansy rubs the side of her face.
"Tansy!" Kaime finally shouts.
"NO," Tansy answers. She steps back—her hands shaking. She folds her arms to hide the nervous twitching. "When you asked me to join your coven, I thought it was slang or something. And then you started making me all sorts of promises…but this? I can't handle this."
"You can't turn your back on me," Kaime says. "You made an oath."
"Then…then," Tansy stutters. "I'm breaking it."
"Like hell you are!" Kaime lunges forward with outstretched arms. Her sharp fingernails dig into the side of Tansy's fragile arm. Tansy yells out in pain, trying to jerk away from her grasp. Kaime disregards everyone and everything around her.
Even the fire.
She yanks Tansy, stepping closer and closer to the roaring flames. They are right at her back, but her mind is elsewhere. And her sanity is long gone.
"Kaime!" Evie yells.
Kaime steps on a branch near the blazing bundle of wood. She loses her balance, and lets out a bloodcurdling scream as flames dance up her leg and along her back. I look at Evie, and she looks at me. The two of us run forward, grabbing Kaime's shoulders and pushing her down into the dirt. She squirms like a panicking worm and cries out in pain. I stomp my foot on the nearest flame, and Evie follows my example. The harder I stomp, the more flames I extinguish. I bend down and toss piles of dirt at the rest. Luckily, it works.
"Last one," Evie shouts. She puts out the last flame, and Kaime ceases squirming. Instead, she lies still taking deep breaths.
"Kaime?" I say quietly. "Can you hear me? The fire is gone."
The clothes on her back are singed and black. It's too dark to see if the flames made it through to her skin.
"Kaime," Tansy says slowly. "Are you okay?"
Kaime lifts a finger to show us she's conscious. She coughs and cautiously moves, but halts as if it hurts too much. She sniffles, wiping away tears.
"Take me home," Kaime whispers.
CHOCOLATE BOMBES
I take a box of brownie mix from our grocery bags. Tansy grabs the other, puts our chocolate ice cream in the fridge. She excitedly takes a mixing bowl out of the cupboard and finds a smaller cereal bowl that fits inside of it.
"I've seen my mom do this so many times I can do it in my sleep," Tansy comments. She grabs a separate mixing bowl and starts on the brownie batter. This is the most I've seen her smile all weekend.
It's our last day at the beach house before we head back to Portland bright and early tomorrow morning. Kaime is in the hospital along with Presley. Kara left for home early judging by her missing car when we made it out of the woods. The cops are on the lookout for her. Already suspicious because of my dropped call, an officer was sent to check on the house. Evie saw him when she ran back, searching for cell reception to call Kaime an ambulance. Her burns weren't too horrible, but she definitely seemed traumatized by the whole thing. She barely uttered a word.
"So we bake the brownies first?" I ask. "Then we cut them and form a brownie layer inside the bowl?"
"Yep." Tansy nods. "And then we add the soft chocolate ice cream, and the smaller cereal bowl. Then we freeze it, and add the vanilla ice cream."
"Then freeze it," I chime in.
"And then…magic." Tansy greases a baking pan and prepares the brownies batter to be baked. "It'll be ready for tonight's binge."
"Nothing like a brownie bombe on a quiet Sunday afternoon," Evie chimes in. She narrows her eyes. "I'm still mad at you, you know." Since we made it out of the woods Evie hasn't been her usual ta
lkative self. She could hardly sleep either. Her tossing and turning kept me up too.
"I told you," Tansy says. "When Kaime started talking about Covens and love spells I never thought she was serious."
"And when she tried to get you to drug Presley so she could steal a lock of his hair?"
"I was in too deep." Tansy shrugs. "Evie, I'm really sorry."
Evie forces a half-smile.
"I can't believe Kara drank it instead," Evie comments.
"So she isn't the brightest star in the sky." Tansy preheats the oven. "After Kara passed out while dancing and hit her head, I thought Kaime was going to put some kind of hex on me. Who knows? Maybe she did?"
"And the underwear?" Evie continues. "Was that really necessary?"
"Not my idea, but she needed a personal item from each of you. I drew the line at collecting any blood."
"You owe me a bra," Evie responds. She takes a deep breath. "And how am I the woman unseen? What was that about?" She presses her lips together.
"I guess because Presley never hit on you?" Tansy studies Evie as she paces the kitchen—her eyes darting from the tile counter to the window.
"The spell was lame." I throw the thought out there to lighten the mood.
"She said…" Tansy's voice quivers like she's expecting Kaime to appear out of nowhere and boss her like she usually did. "Um…she said she bought it from a gypsy lady who did her nails once."
"A gypsy at a nail spa?" I point out.
"The woman must have had lots of bracelets on or something," Tansy replies slyly.
Tansy cracks up laughing, and Evie can't resist anymore. I smile, watching them chuckle away their disappointment. The two of them giggle so hard that tears run down Evie's cheeks.
"That was one wicked mani-pedi," Evie blurts out in between bouts of laughter. "And the dumbest part was…" She wipes away a few tears. "She thought the spell actually worked. I mean, she thought that cutting off a chunk of Presley's hair would make him like her!"
The kitchen is so loud that I barely hear the knock at the door.
"I'll get it," I shout. I laugh to myself and leave the two of them with our chocolaty dessert. They continue laughing when I open the front door. I take a sudden breath when I see Presley waiting on the other side. He looks back to normal in a clean T-shirt and jeans, and his hair is gelled to the side to hide his missing lock of hair.
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